This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Flexible computer systems are a growing trend in the computer industry. Of particular interest are computer systems that include an interconnect architecture that permits flexibility of controller location. Unlike traditional computer systems in which the interconnect architecture is designed such that the controller (which may include a host-bridge or root-complex) may only be installed in a single location, a system with a flexible interconnect architecture may permit the controller to be connected to the computer system's interconnect architecture at any one of a number of connection points. This design flexibility is beneficial for the user because the user does not have to worry about installing the controller into one particular place in order for the computer system to work properly.
One traditional method of creating an interconnect architecture within a computer system is with multi-port bridges that use standard peripheral components interconnect (“PCI”). Standard PCI was first developed in the early 1990s and has since been adopted by a majority of computer manufacturers. It should be understood that the term standard PCI as used in this specification includes conventional (1st generation) PCI, PCI-X, PCI express, or any other derivative that uses PCI semantics. Because of the widespread industry acceptance of standard PCI, standard PCI multi-port bridges are typically used in traditional computer systems to form the interconnect architecture between the computer components. Standard PCI multi-port bridges, however, are typically not suitable for use in flexible interconnect architectures because standard PCI multi-port bridges may need to be preset with the location of the controller and thus will not permit controller location flexibility. An improved PCI multi-port bridge that could permit a flexible interconnect architecture is desirable.